Apparatus for starting explosion-engines.



N. HERZMARK.

APPARATUS FOR STARTING EXPLOSION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28. 1914.

1 $17,762, I Patented Feb. 27, 1917. v

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APPARATUS FOR STARTING EXPLOSION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28. 1914. 1 1,217,762. Patented Feb. 27,1917.

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The accompanying drawings-represent by I way of example a form of constructlon-of the subject of the invention v Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus,

' in part section.

y The apparatus Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the operatlng handle. Fig. 4 is a view from the right of Flg'. 3. The remaining figures. are drawn on a larger scale:

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are details. Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. 5, seen from the left.

Figs. 9v to 11 show an arrangement which" allows of locking the operating handle and the controlling cable in the position of rest.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the device. Fig. 10 is .a corresponding plan. Fig. 11 is a section on line 11-11 9, seen from the left.

Figs. 12 and 13show a .modification of the means for guiding the controlling cable.

. Fig. 12 is a side elevation in part section. Fig. 13 is asection on line 1313 of Fig. 12.

ratchet wheel A fixed upon the engine :fly

, wheel,v a stationary, crown. B fixed to the frame or chassis, and amovable operating pawl C guided inside the crown Band controlled in both directions by means of a flexible cable D.

The ratchet wheel A is secured to the flywheel E by means-of knee-pieces a fixed by screws (see especially Fig. 2). These knees are suitably offset so as to carry the ratchet wheel A clear of the flywheel E and to permit the movement of the clutch cone F. The

knees a may be made extensible bymeans of slidessoas to allow of.- fixing the-ratchet wheel A upon a flywheel of any diameter;

they may also have-,marks andgraduations to facilitate fitting and to insure perfect cen- Application filed Jul 28,1914. Serial no. 553,732.

I-leredia,

comprises essentially a H We of a m t Patented Feb. 217.1917.

tering of the ratchet wheel upon the fly whee Y The guiding crown B (Figs. 1 and 2) which surrounds the ratchet wheel A is secured to the chassis G .of the vehicle by means of bolted brackets?) which may also be extensible. The

or U-section (see especially Fig. 8) and at one side an opening I) through which the controlling ca le D enters inside the crown The side webs or flanges of the crown B are provided upon a part of their peripheries-with an external circular rib b which 'serves 'to guide the driving pawl C. The ribs b at one end have an incline .or ramp 6 which goes away fromthe ratchet wheel A along a tangent to the circumference-of the ribs 6 The driving pawl C is mounted at theend of the operatlng cable D. It consists (see especially Flg. 5) of a member 0 provided with lateral guiding hooks c which slide along the ribs 6 on the crown B. The pawl C. comprises also a roller 0 b means of which it rolls in the trough of t e crown B, a tooth c which forms the pawl itself and is pivoted around anaxis c", and a union a hinged, at '0' to which-is attached the end of g the cable D. 'The tooth a can withdraw.

crown B has a troughfrom operation by turning in the direction of the arrow 'waroundthe'axis c (Fig. 5) while by turning in the direction opposite to the arrow :0 it brings its nose 0 against a stop a u on' the member a. A- spring plunger catc sponding nick in the member 0 holds the tooth c in'its raised position. The tooth c is also provided with a second nose 0? which sets up the tooth 0 again when it meets a stop front of the-ramps 6 (Fig; 6). p

- The cable D consists preferably- 0f ac'ore d and a helical casing 11 i (see especially Figs.

5 and 7) it is guided between the-opening and the Operating andleby a rig d sheath d I Fig.7 shows in axial section the method of connecting the cable D "to the I operating handle J. The core at isattached at the end of a tube" a screwed at one end intoanut d and a socket i (seeialso Fig. 3-); and at the other end intoa cone 2' against which there abuts the helical casing 41 The cone i fits into an outer cone #securedtothe sheath means of a locking screw i By turning a? which then enters a" corre- 72. arranged at one end ofthe' ribs 'l in";

'110 .The tube a can be "fixedto the nut 11 5b board of the vehicle -(see especially Fig. 4)

in ordernot to'incommode the driver in op era ting the accelerator and brake pedals. It

can however be connected to the socket i by a readily detachable fitting; in this case it is easy to remove the handle J so as to prevent the starting of the engine and therefore the theft of the vehicle.

The working of the apparatus is as follows: In the position of rest, the handle J is pushed down to the end of its stroke and the driving pawl O occupies the position I shown in full lines in Fig. 6. The ramp b upon the guide ribs 6 then separates the pawl C sufliciently far from the ratchet wheel A for the-tooth to be quite incapable of engaging with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. The tooth c is also raised because the nose 0 is in contact with the stop h. In order to start the engine, the handle J is taken and pulled, gently at first. The pawl C moves in the direction of the arrow y (Fig. 6), rising along the ramp b so as to approach the ratchet wheel A. The tooth comes into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, which is thereby set in rotation (position II shown in heavy dotted lines in Fig. 6). It is then suflicient to give a sudden pull upon the handle J to revolve the wheel A and therefore the flywheel E, that is to say to start the engine. In this movement, the cable D bears upon the periphery of the ratchet wheel A in the manner of a belt (see position of this cable D shown in Fig. 1).

As soon as the engine starts, the ratchet wheel A knocks down the tooth 0 into its inactive position. The driving pawl is then pushed back into its position of rest by returning the cable D into its sheath by means of the handle J. The position III represented in chain lines. in Fig. 6 shows the pawl C during its backward movement. In this return stroke the part of the cable D contained in the crown B rests in the bottom of the trough, which reduces to a minimum the wear of the cable.

It may be pointed out that the apparatus of the present invention protects from the disadvantages which usually occur in backfires of the engine. For on the most unfavorable supposition, the pawl U is simply driven back by the ratchet wheel A in a direction opposite to the arrow y as far as b where the tooth 0 is automatically released. But more often the starting movement imparts to the ratchet wheel A a quicker movement than is retained by the pawl C toward the end of its stroke; consequently the pawl 0 is driven down out of the way before the back-fire has had time to take place, so that the backfire does not even effect the return of the operating handle J.

There may be a disadvantage in leaving the handle free as shown in Fig. 4 in the position of rest of the apparatus, because under the influence of the vibrations of the vehicle the handle tends to jump up and to draw the cable D against the periphery of ,the ratchet wheel A; this involves rapid wear of the cable.

In order to overcome this drawback there may be employed the device shown in Figs. 9 to 11. This device consists in a pincer K pivoted at a point if upon the floor-board of the vehicle. Two arms of the pincer are turned up at right angles and are subjected to the action of a spring k which tends to bring them together; these arms are arranged in such a way that the stem of the handle J can be engaged between them. The two other arms 70* which open when the arms k close together, are arranged in such a way as to encircle a groove or neck formed in the periphery of the socket 2' In the position of rest, the apparatus has the handle J engaged between the arms 70 of the pincer, these arms being thereby separated; the arms is are therefore brought together so as to clamp the socket i and the cable D. In order to start the engine, the handle J is taken and released from the pincer arms [0 the spring 70 therefore separates the arms 70 and so liberates the socket i and thereby the cable D.

It is moreover quite evident that the invention is not limited to the details of construction which have been described, but that it can be carried out with any desired modifications based upon the same principle. Thus for example in certain cases the sheath d which guides the cable between the opening 12 and the operating handle J may be replaced by the guiding means shown in Figs. 12 and 13. This device consists of a half-sheath m mounted outside the curve of the cable D and rollers m mounted inside the curve of the cable and journaled in the walls of the half-sheath m. A series of holes m drilled beforehand in the walls of the half-sheath m allows of mounting the rollers m at theedesired position. When a pull is exerted upon the cable D, it bears upon the rollers m which reduces friction to the minimum, whereas when it is pushed down 'to return the pawl C to the position of rest,

it comes to bear in the bottom of the half sheath m.

On the other hand the cable D might be of a type other than that described. This cable must however.be of relatively large diameter, in order not to be deformed when subjected to compression. If a solid cable of large diameter were employed, this cable would be. wantin in flexibility. On the other hand the ea le hereinbe'fore described presents the advantage of having a lar e diameter while yet remaining sufficient y llexible.

Lastly the pawl C and the ratchet toothing upon the wheel A could be replaced by other running escape devices of known type, such as friction-releases, friction-ratchets,etc.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the. United States is:

l. A starting device. for explosion engines, comprising a ratchet wheel operatively connected to the engine shaft, a stationary guide around the same, a flexible cable manually movable in opposite directions, a hand grip connected to the outer end of said cable for operating the same in both directions in said guide, a. carrier attached to the free inner end of said cable, a pawl'pivoted to said carrier for engaging the ratchet wheel on the movement of said cable in one direction, and means engaging said pawl at substantially the end of its non-working travel for setting itup in position to engage the ri'itchet on the driving movement'of the cable.

2. A starting device for explosion engines, conn'a-ising a ratchet wheel operatively connected to the engine shaft, a stationary guide. around the same, a. pivoted'pawl having a one-way engagement with said ratchet, a. carrier for the pawl moving on the guide, said guide having a deflected reach at one end to hold the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, and means engaging the pawl during its travel in said deflected reach for setting it up into position to engage the ratchet wheel on the driving movement of the cable.

3. in a starting device for explosion engines, a ratchet wheel fast with the engine shaft, a stationary member aronnd the same, guide ribs on said stationary member, and a pawl sliding on said ribs and adapted to engage the ratchet wheel, together with means for moving said pawl while in engagement with said ratchet wheel, and means operative uponthc return movement of said pawl wheel,

for properly positioning the same to again engage the ratchet wheel on the driving movement thereof in the opposite direction.

4. In a starting device for explosion engines, a ratchet wheel fast with the engine shaft, a stationary member around the same,

guide ribs on said stationary member, and a pawl sliding on said ribs and adapted to engage the ratchet wheel, together with means fol-moving said pawl while in engagement with said ratchet wheel, and means operative upon the return movement of said pawl for properly positioning the same to again engage the ratchet wheel on the driving movement thereof in the opposite direction, and a detent for holding the pawl in this position.

5. In a. starting device for explosion engines, a ratchet wheel operatively connected to the engine shaft, a pawl having a one-way engagement with said ratchet wheel, a cable for operating the pawl, a handle at one end of the cable, and a latch for holding said cable and handle, said latch comprising a pair of double arm levers, a spring between said levers at one end tending to hold said ends together and'the other ends apart, said parted ends embracing the cable and gripping the same when the s n-ing-engaged ends are spread by the insertion therebetween of the handle.

6. In a starting device for explosion engines, a fly-wheel a clutch engaging the flya ratchet wheel, hrac (ets rigidly spacing the latter from the fly-wheel a sufiicient distance to permit the operation of the clutch and a pawl device for temporarily engaging the ratchet wheel to rotate the same, together with a guide surrounding the fly-wheel and supported from the chassis and means for mounting the pawl device therein.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificatiom'in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 

